After an Investec Derby Festival Gr1 near miss on Friday, the Highlands-Ridgemont team are geared up for a big first season for their five-time Gr1 winner Canford Cliffs.
Canford Cliffs at the Highlands Stallion Parade (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
The good-looker was one of 17 stallions on show at the Highlands Stallion Parade on 25 May and caught the attention as an exciting and affordable prospect for breeders..
And how close was it when the son of Tagula went so near to being represented by his first G1 winner, when his son Salouen ran second in the Gr1 Investec Coronation Cup on Investec Oaks day on Friday.
The four-year-old Salouen, runner up in the 2016 Gr1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, was given a bold, front running ride by jockey Silvestre De Sousa, before only going down by a head to multiple Gr1 winner Cracksman –an impressive four length winner of the Gr1 Prix Ganay at his previous outing- in Friday’s Gr1 contest.
A son of Frankel, Cracksman had to dig down deep to best the game Salouen, with multiple Gr1 winner Windstoss another 3.75 lengths back in third place.
Trained by Sylvester Kirk, the four-year-old Salouen will now be aimed at the 2018 G1 Prix de’l Arc de Triomphe.
Athletic Canford Cliffs (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
Kirk said after the Coronation Cup, “It’s lovely to see the horse do what we thought he was capable of. I’m delighted with him. He’s jumped out in front, almost made every yard and we just happened to be beaten by a really good horse.”
Out of the Galileo mare Gali Gal, Salouen, who holds an entry in the Gr2 Hardwicke Stakes this month, took his earnings to just under £300 000 with his runner up effort. He has now been placed in eight feature races.
His five time Gr1 winning sire Canford Cliffs, set to stand his first season at Highlands in 2018, is also responsible for group winners Cliff’s Edge, Painted Cliffs, Most Beautiful, Al Jazi and Princess Asta. Another daughter, Harlequeen, ran third to Horse Of The Year Minding in the 2016 Gr1 Investec Oaks.
His South African runners include East Cape Derby winner Dorset Noble and Gr3 Three Troikas Stakes heroine Fish River.
Canford Cliffs will stand for a fee of R30 000 at Highlands in the coming season. Enquiries to Amanda Carey – email: [email protected]
